THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Central Visayas has reminded private companies to commission only transport vehicles with franchise and special operating permits amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Eduardo Montealto, LTFRB-Central Visayas director, said he observed that some business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu have commissioned tourist buses that do not have special permits to ferry employees.
He said since mass transportation is suspended, they can only be deployed through a special permit.
"Daghan ko og namatikdan diri nga walay special permits so they are considered colorum then sa police in all checkpoint, kon masakpan sila, i-flag down sila then i-report sa amoa or kon kami makasakop sa ila, maperwisyo ang mosakay kay amo man na pakanaugon," he said.
(It has come to my attention that [some transport vehicles] do not have special permits, so they are considered colorum. In police checkpoints, if they are caught, they will be flagged down and reported to us; if we catch them, it will trouble passengers because we will ask them to step out of the vehicle.)
"Ang masakpan nga kolorum, i-impound. Ang lukat sa bus is P1 million (those colorum vehicles caught will be impounded. The penalty for a bus is P1 million)," he added.
When applying for a special permit, an operator must attach the Certificate of Public Convenience, passenger insurance and an endorsement from the local government unit/s (LGUs) having jurisdiction over their service vehicles' routes.
Clearance or endorsement from LGU is required to make sure that plying service vehicles are from companies or establishments that are exempted from the ECQ.
"Just like what happened in a private company in Lapu-Lapu City, we found out that the said entity did not have their business permit renewed," he said in Cebuano.
Transport operators may send their special permit application at ltfrb.r7@gmail.com. An operator must pay P170 (per three days of operation) for the special permit. LGU-commissioned transport vehicles, however, are exempted from the said fee.
Private companies with their own service vehicles are exempted from the special permit, but proprietors have to make sure that such service vehicles are registered under the company or under their own names. They are exempted from applying for special permit. (WBS)